MTC HC-50 High Capacity Mobile Fuel Polishing System – 25 to 75 GPM Air-Powered Skid with Multi-Stage Filtration and Smart Safety Alarms

The MTC HC-50 is a purpose-built high capacity fuel polishing system designed for operations that need effective, high-throughput cleaning of diesel and bio-fuel storage tanks at sites where compressed air is available and electrical supply is limited, unreliable, or hazardous. Mounted on a compact, wheeled skid for easy relocation between tank service points, the system drives fuel through a four-stage cleaning circuit — a bag filter vessel and dedicated mechanical water separator for initial bulk decontamination, an inline magnetic fuel conditioner for ongoing hydrocarbon stabilisation, and a high-efficiency cartridge fine filter for final particulate and free-water polishing. An optional SFC50 Smart Filtration Controller adds three-channel safety alarm monitoring and automatic pump shutdown protection, along with remote pendant operation for flexible on-site control. Locking 2-inch cam and groove connections, a clear 25-foot suction hose, and a full-length discharge hose make the HC-50 ready to deploy at any tank service location with minimal setup time.

• Air-Powered Double Diaphragm Pump — No Electrical Supply Required: The MTC HC-50 is driven entirely by compressed air, requiring 25–50 SCFM at 90 PSI delivered through a standard 1/2-inch air hose connection. This fundamental design choice makes the HC-50 suitable for environments where electrical hookup is impractical or where sparking electrical equipment near fuel vapours presents an unacceptable safety risk — including shipyards, enclosed tank rooms, remote field locations, offshore decks, and sites undergoing maintenance with limited power access. Flow output scales directly with air supply: at the maximum rated 50 SCFM input, the system achieves up to 75 GPM throughput, while reducing air volume proportionally reduces pump speed for controlled lower-rate operation during initial water and sludge extraction phases. The diaphragm pump design also handles fuel-air mixtures and priming conditions tolerantly compared to positive displacement pumps, making startup in partially filled suction lines less operationally sensitive.
• Multi-Stage Fuel Filtration with Selectable Bag and Cartridge Elements: Fuel passes through a cascaded filtration circuit that targets contamination progressively from coarse to fine. The primary bag filter vessel accepts interchangeable filter bags ranging from 1 to 800 microns via a liner basket assembly, enabling the operator to match the primary filter rating to the contamination severity at each stage of the polishing cycle. As bulk contamination is progressively reduced through Phases 1 and 2, bag micron ratings can be stepped down to capture increasingly fine particles before the secondary cartridge filter is engaged. The secondary cartridge fine filter vessel accommodates 2–30 micron particulate elements, 10–30 micron water block elements, or 3–10 micron micro-glass elements — all absolute-rated for consistent, verifiable performance — providing the final filtration stage required to meet specific fuel cleanliness codes for sensitive injection systems and regulated storage operations.
• FP-90 Mechanical Water Separator for Bulk Free-Water Removal: An FP-90 mechanical water separator is positioned within the HC-50's fuel circuit between the primary bag filter and the secondary fine filter stage. It mechanically separates free water and accumulated sludge from the fuel stream, directing extracted water to a drain valve for controlled disposal rather than allowing it to reach and rapidly saturate the downstream cartridge filter element. On systems equipped with the optional SFC50 controller, an integrated water detection sensor probe continuously monitors accumulation inside the separator and triggers a High Water alarm with automatic pump shutdown when the water level reaches the alarm threshold — preventing water-contaminated fuel from progressing to the secondary filter stage and protecting both downstream filter life and fuel quality. This dedicated water removal step is critical on tanks where water ingress from condensation, leaking deck fittings, or delivery contamination has allowed significant free-water accumulation.
• LG-X 4000 Inline Magnetic Fuel Conditioner: Every litre of fuel processed by the MTC HC-50 passes through the LG-X 4000 inline magnetic conditioner, a passive device permanently integrated into the fuel circuit. The strong magnetic field generated by the conditioner interacts with the charge state of hydrocarbon molecules and ferrous micro-particles in the fuel, reducing their tendency to agglomerate into larger sludge deposits and promoting a more stable, homogeneous fuel condition. Over successive polishing cycles, this effect supports reduced fouling rates on tank walls, injector tips, and fuel filters in the equipment that the stored fuel ultimately supplies. Because the LG-X 4000 has no moving parts and requires no external power, it adds continuous fuel conditioning to every polishing operation at zero additional operating cost and with no maintenance requirement beyond periodic visual inspection.
• Optional SFC50 Smart Filtration Controller with Three-Channel Safety System: The SFC50 Smart Filtration Controller is an available upgrade that transforms the MTC HC-50 from a manually monitored polishing unit into a semi-automated, alarm-protected system. The SFC50 manages pump activation via a solenoid-controlled air valve, monitors system status through a PLC with LCD display, and operates across three independent alarm channels: a High Water alarm that triggers pump shutdown when excessive water accumulation is detected in the FP-90 separator; a High Vacuum alarm that fires at 16 inches HG suction-side pressure to indicate primary filter blockage; and a High Pressure alarm at 22 PSI discharge-side pressure to signal secondary filter saturation. Each alarm halts air flow to the pump automatically, requiring the operator to address the triggering fault and reset the system before operation resumes — ensuring the polishing cycle cannot continue in a degraded state that would compromise fuel quality or cause equipment damage. A pump control selector switch enables Manual and Remote operational modes, and dedicated indicator lights confirm power status, pump run state, and active alarms at a glance.
• Remote Pendant Operation for Flexible On-Site Control (Optional): On systems fitted with the optional SFC50 controller, a remote pendant switch allows the operator to start and stop the pump from a distance without needing to return to the skid-mounted controller panel between each adjustment. This is practically valuable when the HC-50 is positioned away from the tank access point, when the operator needs to observe suction hose positioning or fuel flow inside the tank during startup, or when the system is deployed in a confined or awkward space where continuous proximity to the skid panel is impractical. With the SFC50 selector switch in AUTO mode, the remote pendant provides simple one-button pump control while the controller continues to monitor all three alarm channels and execute automatic safety shutdowns independently of the pendant state.
• Portable Skid Design with Locking 2-Inch Cam and Groove Connections: The MTC HC-50 integrates all system components — pump, filters, water separator, fuel conditioner, controller, gauges, and interconnecting plumbing — onto a compact wheeled skid platform measuring approximately 59 inches tall, 36 inches wide, and 45 inches deep, weighing approximately 630 lbs. The skid's wheeled base allows the system to be repositioned between tank service locations on site without lifting equipment in most cases, and forklift or crane lift points accommodate transfer between floors or vehicle loading for multi-site service operations. All fuel connections use locking 2-inch cam and groove couplings on both the inlet and outlet ports, providing quick, tool-free, leak-resistant hose connection. The supplied 25-foot clear suction hose gives the operator a direct visual indication of fuel flow quality and pump prime status at all times during operation.
• Fine Filter Bypass Capability for Cost-Effective Phased Tank Cleaning: A dedicated bypass mode allows the HC-50 to route fuel exclusively through the primary bag filter and FP-90 water separator during the early phases of tank cleaning, completely bypassing the secondary fine filter cartridge until the worst contamination has been removed. Engaging the precision cartridge element immediately on a heavily fouled tank would result in rapid element loading and frequent filter changes before meaningful cleanliness improvement has been achieved, driving up per-tank maintenance cost significantly. By absorbing the bulk of water, sludge, and coarse particulate through the lower-cost bag filter and water separator stages in Phases 1 and 2, the HC-50 substantially extends secondary filter cartridge service life and reduces the total filter element cost per tank cleaning cycle — a key economic advantage on large or chronically contaminated fuel stores.